Daniel Ferro, sales and partnership manager for Spotcap Australia talks tax, tapas and the top survival tips for working in finance
Q: What was your first job?
A: I took my first role in finance about a year after I moved to Australia. I was offered a position with the Tax Institute to help bring in a new education course for their organisation. Hearing the word ‘tax’, I promptly turned the roll down a number of times before succumbing to the pressures of affording to live in Sydney. However, the funny thing is, it turned out to be one of the best moves I have ever made. I was put in front of directors and partners from some of the largest accounting and finance firms in Australia. This role led me to become the national corporate partnership manager at the Tax Institute, before I moved to Spotcap.
Q: If you had the MFAA’s CEO over for dinner, what would you serve?
A: I love cooking and, growing up between England and Spain, I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by great cooks my whole life. So, true to form, I would serve a selection of tapas, chorizo and prawns pilpil, to name a few. This would be accompanied by good cheese, ham and a quality red wine. Tapas is always a great meal, as everything is shared so it’s less formal and encourages great dinner conversations.
Q: What are your top survival tips for working in finance?
A: Yes, it’s a buzzword at the moment, but diversification is the way forward in finance. It’s not just a case of all your eggs in one basket, but a balanced and sensible approach to being able to service all of your clients’ needs. More importantly, it about not turning business away, especially with the end of the financial year around the corner.
Consider addressing your sales cycle. If a residential deal takes, on average, six months to settle, why not consider writing small business loans in the interim? These smart deals are simple, fast and take just a few days to settle, with the commission sitting in your bank by the end of the week. Opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor!
Q: If you won $1m, what would you do with it?
A: It sounds cliché but I would use the money to get a mortgage. I currently can’t afford one due to my café habits and excessive consumption of smashed avocado in Sydney.
